Lex Med Blog

Lexington Medical Center hosted its 10th annual Baby Fair on Saturday, May 12th at Columbiana Centre. Antendees visited booths to learn more about services and products designed to make life as a new parent easier. There was also be a fashion show, giveaways, grand prize drawings, vendors and games. Visitors met and spoke with Lexington Medical Center doctors and other health care providers.

Lexington Medical Center provides comprehensive and compassionate care for women in all stages of life. Our Ob/Gyn practices are home to the latest technology and physicians who are ranked among the top doctors in the country. In addition, our hospital is consistently voted “Best Place to Have a Baby” by readers of Palmetto Parent magazine. Lexington Medical Center delivers more than 3,200 babies each year. And, Lexington Medical Center is home to an innovative Doula program that is the first-of-its-kind in the Southeast; a Doula is a birth coach who offers mothers comfort and reassurance during labor and delivery.

by Donna Quirk, MBA RD LD
LMC Clinical Nutrition Manager

Looking to add a new vegetable your meals during the month of May?  Try Swiss Chard.

This deep green leafy vegetable is a nutrition superstar!  A ½ cup serving has about 20 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein and half the daily requirements for Vitamin C.  It also meets and exceeds your daily requirements for Vitamin A and Vitamin K.  One word of caution – if you take the medication Warfarin please eat this vegetable in small amounts.

Swiss Chard is traditionally used in Mediterranean cuisine but can also be used in recipes that call for spinach or other greens, such as collard greens.  Leaves that are harvested early can be used in salads, but generally you will find more mature plants for sale.  They need to be chopped and cooked.  Try them sautéed, or in pasta dishes, soups and stir-fries.

Lentil Stew with Ham and Greens

From Cooking Light Magazine – January 2002.

One of the best things about this supper–besides its great flavor–is that it can be ready in less than an hour, start to finish.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups chopped Swiss chard (Or collard greens, spinach )
• 1 1/2 cups chopped baking potato
• 1 cup chopped smoked ham
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth, lentils, carrot, and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Add Swiss chard, potato, and ham; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in tomatoes, basil, thyme, and pepper; simmer 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Sprinkle with parsley.

Nutrition Information per serving:  Calories: 320; Calories from fat: 24%; Fat: 8.6g; Saturated fat: 2g; Monounsaturated fat: 5g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.1g; Protein: 20.4g; Carbohydrate: 41.7g; Fiber: 15.1g; Sodium: 943mg

Lexington Medical Center is pleased to announce that it is affiliating with Duke Medicine to provide a state-of-the-art level of cancer care to patients in our community. This collaboration with Duke will allow Lexington Medical Center patients to have access to Duke’s excellence in cancer patient care, clinical research and education. Lexington Medical Center’s comprehensive cancer services will be a premiere program within the Midlands.

“Lexington Medical Center’s affiliation with the Duke Oncology Network will allow patients to receive the best cancer care available, including access to important clinical trials, right here in our community,” said Mike Biediger, President & CEO of Lexington Medical Center.

Through this affiliation, the Duke Oncology Network will work on a consulting basis to provide Lexington Medical Center physicians with mentors at Duke and enhance policies and procedures. Importantly, the oncology affiliation with Duke will allow Lexington Medical Center to increase patient access to cutting edge clinical trials, exposing people in the Midlands to a wide range of the most promising cancer treatments currently available in the nation. Duke will also offer Lexington Medical Center guidance in areas including oncology clinical practice, program development and continuing medical education.

“Our cancer patients can feel confident knowing their care is guided not only by the excellent, multi-disciplinary oncology team at Lexington Medical Center, but also by the expertise of Duke’s quality program,” said Dr. Steve Madden, oncologist at Lexington Oncology Associates, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice.

The Duke Cancer Institute is consistently ranked among the top centers in the nation for cancer services and is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. The Duke Cancer Institute serves more than 6,000 new cancer patients each year, from every state in the nation.

“Lexington Medical Center has a comprehensive community oncology program with the expertise to care for many types of cancer,” said Dr. Myron Barwick, surgeon at Lexington Surgical Associates and chairman of Lexington Medical Center’s Cancer Committee. “Our affiliation with Duke will open greater access for our patients to cutting edge cancer clinical trials that have the potential to save lives.”

Lexington Medical Center diagnoses and treats approximately 1,000 new cancer patients each year and has just completed an extensive renovation of its oncology facilities.

Lexington Oncology Associates, a physician practice that’s part of Lexington Medical Center, is now a 26,000 square foot office with 24 exam rooms, a central lab, Healing Garden, Research Suite for on-site clinical trials and a Resource Room with reference books and patient education materials. In addition, Lexington Oncology Associates is now home to a newly redesigned infusion center for chemotherapy patients, providing a brighter and more spacious atmosphere for them and families treatment. In addition, the hospital has completed an 18 month renovation of its Oncology floor, resulting in larger patient rooms with additional features and a comfortable environment for families.

“We are very excited to be working with Lexington Medical Center in its quest to provide the best care for cancer patients in the region. The leadership of LMC and its cancer program are dedicated to identifying and implementing best practices in Oncology care. That commitment to change, as the best methods in Oncology evolve, is a hallmark of leading edge care and the Duke Oncology Network is proud to be part of that effort.” said Dr. Linda Sutton, Medical Director of the Duke Oncology Network.

Lexington Medical Center’s cancer programs are accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC). The Women’s Imaging facility is a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence through the American College of Radiology.

It’s not the first time that Duke and Lexington Medical Center have come together to deliver expert care. The hospital is building on a relationship it established with Duke in 2011 when Lexington Medical Center affiliated with Duke Medicine for cardiovascular care.